Pumpkin smash events being held Saturday at two schools
Pumpkin smash events will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 8, at Naperville Central High School, 440 Aurora Ave., and Peterson Elementary School, 4008 Chinaberry Lane, Naperville.
Sponsored by SCARCE (School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education), the nonprofit started holding pumpkin recycling events in 2014 and has helped keep more than nine tons of pumpkins out of landfills by using them for compost, organizers said.
Last year, more than 150 registered and unregistered pumpkin smash sites composted nearly 165 tons of pumpkins, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and produces nutrients to improve soil quality, SCARCE organizers said.
Block 59 holding food drive Friday for Loaves & Fishes
A community Food Drive at Block 59 will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, in the parking lot of the Walter E. Smithe store to support the Loaves & Fishes food pantry in Naperville.
Non-perishable food items are being collected, according to a news release from Brixmor, the company that owns Block 59 at Route 59 and Aurora Avenue.
Among the items requested are:
Canned protein (tuna, salmon, chicken), canned/dried fruit, canned vegetables
soup, spaghetti, whole wheat pastas, instand and whole oatmeal, whole grain cereals, rice, couscous, grains, peanut butter, canned tomatoes, and personal care items (toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, household cleaners, Kleenex, deodorant, body wash, paper towels).
Walter E. Smithe store is located at 476 S. Route 59.
DuPage Children’s Museum hosting STEM celebration
DuPage Children’s Museum will celebrate National STEM Day with family activities from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8.
Science, technology, engineering, math and art can be explored through hands-on experiments at the museum, 301 N. Washington St., Naperville. The event is included with museum admission, a news release said.
Some of the activities include exploring the power of moving air with scarves and balls; creating and building with wooden planks, nuts and bolts; stacking and creating with oversized foam blocks; using magnet wands and metal marbles to paint; and experimenting with unique instruments.
Free mini STEM kit will be available to take home while supplies last, the release said.
For more information, go to www.dupagechildrens.org.